Live Panel Discusses the Growing Field of Medical Assisting for 'MAR Week'

Rasmussen College hosted a live Career Chat on Oct. 24 in honor of National Medical Assisting Recognition (MAR) week.

Career experts from Rasmussen College met with Alicia Tuquilar, a Minnesota-based medical assistant (MA) to discuss trends affecting the industry. The panel also discussed some of the best tools, tips and tricks for would-be MAs looking to stand out from the crowd of fellow job-seekers.

If you were not able to log into the live version of this career chat – don’t worry! You are not too late to learn about how to make yourself stand out in the rapidly-growing field of medical assisting. The career chat is archived on Rasmussen College’s YouTube channel for your reference and can be accessed at any time!

Tuquilar provided inside information on working as a medical assistant. Beginning with her education, she walked participants through the path she took in her career as well as the details of her day-to-day responsibilities and skills that help her to succeed.

When asked about the most important skills MAs need to have in today’s marketplace, Tuquilar didn’t hesitate. “Communication is one of the most important skills to earn the trust of patients,” she says.

Growing demand for medical assistants

Medical assisting careers have a bright future with growth trends projected out through the next decade. The career experts discussed how the 31% growth anticipated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is mirrored in the upward trend of current job postings for medical assistants.

These positions are found throughout the healthcare industry in a wide range of environments including hospitals, clinics, outpatient facilities and even insurance companies.

Medical assisting job search tips

Joclyn Rung, career services advisor at Rasmussen College, provided cutting-edge tips for candidates to consider when searching for jobs. She walked through a superior resume example which included everything from a professional email address to key terminology that will stand out to employers.

Including your motivations and “what you are looking for” on your resume in the form of keywords will help employers find you in their searches and identify if you are a match for the organization, advised Rung.

Overview of medical assisting topics covered

These are just a few of the dozens of topics covered by the medical assisting career experts. Here is a breakout of some of the other themes and their time stamps so you can jump around:

Day to day job of a medical assistant, 3:55

Skills for success, 4:58 & 26:54

Best part of the medical assisting field, 6:05

Medical professionals that work with MAs, 6:44

Job growth, demand and locations, 7:55

Industries that MAs work in, 9:10

Typical job titles, 10:00

Salary potential, 10:35

Career advancement, 11:30 & 14:30

Studying for the medical assistant credential exam, 12:55

Building your resume, 15:32

Job-seeking advice, 22:43

Networking through professional associations and social media, 23:44

Where to find opportunities in medical assisting, 25:25

Medical assisting is a growing field that opens a lot of exciting doors in healthcare. Find out more about what a certificate in medical assisting could mean for you!

External links provided on Rasmussen.edu are for reference only. Rasmussen College does not guarantee, approve, control, or specifically endorse the information or products available on websites linked to, and is not endorsed by website owners, authors and/or organizations referenced.

Katy is a Content Marketing Specialist at Collegis Education who writes student-focused articles on behalf of Rasmussen College. She enjoys creating engaging content to help former, current and future students on their path to a rewarding education.

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